Chawlk

1. Drawar
2. Fenxy
3. Decaflon
4. Two Credits
5. Wriging
6. Loose Suits
7. Chixe
8. Dud3s
9. Wing Colors

 

Funnily enough I've just done another guest post for John Chow on how I manage my time, and how difficult I find it balancing everything in my life.

linky

Basically it's hard to manage. I have my duties as a home-owner, as a boyfriend, as a cat-owner, as a professional web developer, as a freelancer and as a human to manage, then when you add in blogging it becomes really busy!

I feel like that just about every single day. I work a fulltime job as a web developer, then run my own 3-man company on the side, write on 3 blogs, and just joined a Chamber of Commerce last week. Oh, and there's my girlfriend lol. I 100% understand there not being enough hours in the day.....ever.

I think that I'm pretty good with time management now, but there is always something else to do.

A time machine is how it's done lol. I'm married, have a web design business, have 2 dogs, 2 active blogs and a fair few less active ones along with also having a time sink hobby in WOW (World of Warcraft), I also maintain probably more than I should other sites). Actually the not so sexy answer is organisation. It's actually quite scary the amount of time you waste once you look at what you spend doing what and learn to optimise the time you have. I recall a few years ago I was doing 18hrs+ and literally falling asleep at my keyboard. Now, I take most of the nights off or at least do non 'day work' stuff and also have been known to take time off at the weekend. It's a case of prioritising and making what time you do have count. Little things like only checking RSS once a day, having a good email sorting system and doing small jobs when they come up and not procrastinating - these all mount up to having more time.

lol karma, funny yet good advice.

I think it's worth mentioning that there is a point where you have to admit that you've taken on too much.

I have that problem when I have people paying me for reviews and wanting them done sooner rather than later. When work is busy it takes away my time, then any social commitments really absorb whatever I have left. A time machine is the only way to make it work without something suffering.

Just make sure you're not making the wrong things suffer.

I think it's worth mentioning that there is a point where you have to admit that you've taken on too much.

I never get that feeling that I'm taking on too much. Like, I don't feel like I'm worn out from the stuff that I'm working on, I just wish I had more time to do more stuff.

I never mix work and friends/social life. When I'm hanging out with my wife or our friends, I never bring up work, nothing to do with computers, technology, design, none of that. I've always thought that when people talk about their profession in a normal, friendly conversation it's rude and very boring, and I never do it. Most of my friends don't even know what 9rules is because I never bring it up, they just know I do web stuff and I've never expanded on the subject.

Time management is important, although the other thing I would mention is total focus on the job at hand. Like Mike, when I'm working - that's it - nothing gets in the way - socializing, same - hanging out and just doing stuff with my little people, same. But, I have to admit, when I'm doing the domestic goddess thing (cooking, cleaning, serving ;) - I occasionally lapse...and play :)

I wish a day had a least 6 more hours in it. Just for sleep. I work about 1 1/2-2 hours from my home. So I'm on the train 4 hours a day, in the city (ny) from 8 to 6:30ish (I'm a web developer) and back at home by 9pm-9:30pm. Then I'm too tired to do anything. Plus I have three kids, just moved and a husband. So I get roundabouts 4 hours of sleep a night, no free time (except on weekends, which are spent doing all the stuff I was too busy to do all week).

One of the solutions (for me) is moving closer to NYC, which will happen soon, but unfortunately I don't have the cash on hand for the ridiculous down payments on any rental property here.

I have started utilizing the extra 4 hours I have on the train doing personal work for my website, and some new ones. I'm developing a new site which I just finished designing and will start coding tonight. Now I just need one of those sweet wireless air cards so I can get the internet while on the train to keep it up to date.

All in all I still come out with just about the same amount of work time as I used to have when I was freelancing, although the best thing about that was being able to do that at home and hang out with my family while doing it (and getting more sleep since there was no travel time!!).

So yes, I would like 6-10 more hours a day for sleeping and spending time with my kids.

As for a social life?? Haha, I laugh at that. If I have time (and am in the mood!) I will chat on the way home from work with my friends and very rarely I will go out for a bar trip on a Saturday night. But I'm so busy recovering from my work week I have little to no time for anything social.

I've been feeling like that a lot lately only because I've been spending so much time studying and researching things. Here it is 4am, it sounds like a hurricane outside and I'm ordering Seth Godin books. When they come, instead of hanging out with friends, I'll be educating myself.

Most of my friends don't even know what 9rules is because I never bring it up, they just know I do web stuff and I've never expanded on the subject.

I was the exact opposite. All my friends/associates know about 9rules and I held several 9rules themed parties. When I go out socially I am often asked about 9rules and my ventures just as I casually ask about theirs. Then we have fun. With my friends (and I don't use that word lightly) I have a natural interest in what they do even if I am not "into" what they do. Sort of like the girl that has no interest in sports but will have an interest when the man she loves is interested in sports lol.

I know I need better time management. :)

I'm in the same boat as lalindsey, I have ~3+ hour commute every day, round trip to work. I would love to have a voice controlled laptop so I can do more on my drive.

I tend to overthink everything when i am driving. To help with this I have started listing to audio books. They have been awesome at keeping my mind from getting overwhelmed with everything.

tsiger I would love an extra 4-5 hours each day.

re:Mike's post about not talking about profession stuff.
Usually in my circle of friends we talk about work, updates and gripes or accomplishments (not bragging, just finished a deadline type of talk), then go on to other subjects.

What is this "Life" you mention in the middle of the equation?

lol Ozone. Stoopid.

Mike, I'm impressed with your discipline -- I know even when my friends and I declare work talk off-limits, we struggle to really stick to that. It just takes up such a percentage of everyone's day!

I'm still trying to work out the balance, particularly because my fulltime job has just exploded into a million little pieces of work. Getting on top of the pile is really difficult. I've started by trying to cut out some of my freelance work to make way for it, but given a choice, that's not how I'd do it...

But a girl has to sleep, whether she wants to or not.

That is a good question.

I find that the more interesting things that happen to me in real life, the less I blog. And the more time I have being at home and living pretty much as a vegetable, the more I rant and wax lyrical and post and waste time.

I know I should be jailed for littering the Internet with that kind of good natured dross, but what the heck.

=)